Chables f



(No Model.)

0; F. RITOHEL.

I Toy.

; No. 236,264. 7 I p Patented .l'an. 4,

NPETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

U tTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES E. BITOHEL, OF BRIDGEPORT, OONN., ASS IGNOR TO EDWARD B. IVES, OF SAME PLACE, AND CORNELIUS BLAKESLEE, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y.

TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersllatent No. 236,264, dated January 4, 1881.

Application filed November 11, 1880. (No model.)

Bridgeport,in the county ofFairtield and State:

of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my improvements is to produce a simple and cheap toy which in moving along shall simulate walking.

The improvements consist in the combination,in a toy with legs or like articles which, by dragging over theground, (I mean by ground any support on which the toy is placed,) assume a rearward position as the toy is moved along and are capable'of a forward movement independently of the body of the toy when relieved from the ground, of means for impelling the legs forward, the toy being so organized that as the toy moves along and assumes a rocking movement the legs will thereby he raised and one or more at a time be moved forward. The toy may be in the form of a quadruped or two or more bipeds, such as a file of soldiers, affording one another mutual support. 'It may also consist of a vehicle and a quadruped or biped so connected thereto as to be susceptible of a rocking movement, and

it may be dragged along or propelled by springs or otherwise; but the walking part or parts are in all cases to be susceptible of a rocking movement, and the legs are to be dragged backward by the movement of the toy forward, and are to be moved forward, by springs or otherwise, as the walking part or parts of the toy in rocking frees them from the ground.

These improvements also consist in a particular combination of springs with the legs of the toy, and in'a peculiar way of putting together certain of its component parts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a toy embodying my invention, representing a donkey; and Fig. 2 is a view of the inner side of one of two longitudinal parts of which its body is composed and of the legs affixed thereto.

Similar letters of reference designate correspondin g parts in both figures.

A and A designate the two longitudinal parts of which the donkey is composed. They meet along the center of the back, belly, neck, and head, and they are fitted together and retained in proper relation with each other by means of pins or projections a in one part and corresponding recesses in the other part. A pin or bolt, B, passing through the two parts, having a head on one end and riveted at the other, secures them together. The fore legs (3 and hind legs D are pivoted by pins 11 into recessed portions of the parts A' and A, so as to permit of their movement forward and backward.

E designates a spring, consisting, as here shown, of a band of india-rubber slipped over a hook, c, on the upper end of the fore leg and over a cross-piece, d, extending forwardly from the upper portion of the opposite hind leg. The spring passes underthe crosspiece d of the hind leg, and its tendency is to lift said crossbar when the hind leg is dragged into a rearward position, and thereby to impel the leg forward, which it does whenever the leg is free from the ground. To increase this tendency of the spring to lift the cross-piece d, I preferably pass it over the bolt or pin B. The tension of the spring, acting upon the hook o of the fore leg and drawing it backward, impels the leg forward when free from the ground. The sides of the recesses in which the legs are pivoted form stops, whereby the legs are prevented from moving too far forward or back; ward. Preferably the two fore legs and the two back legs are spread orinclined away from each other to form a stable base for the toy.

The feet may have affixed to them drags F, of

inside the body and a'bend just outside the body, and is by these means retained in place, while it is still left free to swing sidewise or forward and backward relatively to the body,

The part of the tail-piece inside the body serves as a counter-balance to the part outside, there by retaining the latter in the natural position for a tail.

A string or band may be run through holes 9 in the mouth portion of the donkey, for use in drawing the donkey along. 1f, when the donkey is drawn along, it does not derive a rocking movement by the friction of the feet, it may be jerked gently to one side to impart to it a slight rocking motion. As it moves along this rocking motion will be kept up, and, as each leg is thereby lifted from the ground, it will be impelled forward by its spring E, and will simulate the act of steppin If desirable, one of the legs may, in its normal position, be thrown more forward than the others, so as to elevate it slightly from the ground, thereby giving the toy such a base that it will readily assume a rocking motion when pulled along.

It will be seen that by my invention I prod uce a very simple and cheap walking toy, and one which will not readily get out of order. The principle on which it operates, no matter what it may be made to represent or whether or not it be combined with a vehicle, is the rocking movement whereby the legs are freed from the ground and the springs or equivalent means forimpelling thelegs forward when freed from the ground.

Of course I do not confine myself to the use of springs such as I have shown, connecting the fore legs with the opposite hind legs, as separate springs of various kinds may be used in various ways to effect the desired movement of the legs. Indeed, if the legs were dragged backward of a vertical position by the forward movement of the toy, their weight, with or without additional weight applied thereto, may serve to impel them forward, at least as far as a vertical position, and in such case would constitute means for impelling them forward. In lieu of legs, possibly like articlessnch,for instance, as the fins of a fish or wings of a bird moved over the groundmay be operated in a similar manner.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a toy with legs or like articles which, by dragging on the ground, assume a rearward position as the toy is moved along and are capable of a forward movement when relieved from the ground, of means for impelling the legs or like articles forward, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a toy with legs or like articles which, by dragging on the ground, assume a rearward position as the toy is moved along and are capable of a forward movement when relieved from the ground, of springs for impelling the legs or like articles forward, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in a toy with legs or like articles, of springs connected each to one fore leg or like article and to an opposite hind leg or like article, and serving to impel both legs or like articles forward, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, in a toy, of the body AA, pins or projections to and their recesses, and the pin or bolt D, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, in a toy, of a body, legs (3 D pivoted thereto, the hooks c on the legs (J, the cross-pieces d on the legs D, and the springs E. substantially as specified.

6. The combination, in a toy, of abody and a tail-piece, pivoted to the same, and counterbalanced so as to be capable of swinging, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, in a toy capable of a rocking walking movement, of a tail-piece or movable part pivoted so as to derive a swinging movement from the rocking motion, substantially as specified.

S. The combination, in a toy, of a body made in two parts and a tail-piece or movable piece having a pivotal support in semicircular recesses, provided one in each part, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, in a toy having legs or like articles which assume a rearward motion as the toy moves forward, of drags applied to the feet or under side for precluding them from slipping or sliding forward, substantially as specified.

10. The combination, in a toy having legs or like articles which have a movement independent of the body of the toy as the toy moves along, of pads for the feet or under sides of the legs or like articles, precluding them from scratching the surface over which they move, substantially as specified.

CHARLES F. RITUHEL.

Witnesses:

WM. E. DISBROW, SETH HILL. 

